URBAN ENVIRONMENT AS A SYSTEM OF IMPRESSIONS AND IMAGES: ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCE ON THE CITY'S APPEARANCE USING THE EXAMPLE OF ALMATY

Abstract

This study examines the urban environment of Almaty as a system of impressions and images through a comparative analysis of three streets: Dostyk Avenue, Raimbek Batyr Avenue, and Navoi Street. The research is motivated by the need to clarify how different types of urban streets participate in shaping the architectural image, cultural identity, and visual perception of the city. The study is based on a comparative urban analysis that combines morphological interpretation, visual-spatial analysis, field observation, photographic documentation, and the assessment of historical, functional, environmental, and symbolic characteristics of the selected street segments. A unified analytical framework was applied to evaluate historical-cultural significance, compositional integrity, functional diversity, pedestrian accessibility, greenery and environmental comfort, safety, symbolic expressiveness, and the contribution of each street to the image of Almaty. The results demonstrate that the three streets perform different roles in the structure of the city. Dostyk Avenue functions as the most compositionally coherent and culturally saturated urban axis; Raimbek Batyr Avenue acts primarily as a transport corridor that retains important markers of historical memory but has weaker environmental cohesion; Navoi Street reveals considerable landscape and public-space potential, although its spatial structure remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated. The study shows that the image of Almaty is formed not through a uniform urban fabric, but through the interaction of streets with different morphological, functional, and symbolic qualities. The findings may be used in urban planning and architectural practice aimed at preserving urban identity, improving pedestrian and public spaces, and strengthening the visual and compositional coherence of the city environment.